Mercedes chief admits ‘embarrassment’ after Lewis Hamilton disqualification

Hamilton finished the US Grand Prix in second place before his expulsion from the race due to an illegal floor

Mercedes chief James Allison says Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification is an “embarrassment” and “significant blow” for the team as the 2023 F1 season draws to a close.

Hamilton finished the US Grand Prix in second, behind race winner Max Verstappen, but was disqualified by the FIA following a technical inspection of the plank underneath his Mercedes car was found to have exceeded the limits in the regulations.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished sixth, was disqualified for the same reason.

Mercedes’ technical director Allison, who earlier in the season came back into the fold on-site in the Mercedes garage after an effective job swap with Mike Elliott, did not mince his words when speaking in the team’s post-race debrief video.

“Of course the disqualification is a significant blow,” he said. “It’s a miserable feeling. It hurts and, everybody here feels it.

"Everybody is upset, embarrassed to a degree as well because we absolutely don’t like being on the wrong side of the rules, and just lamenting the lost points."

Hamilton was set to close to within 19 points of Sergio Perez in the battle for the second in the world championship but, instead, the deficit is now 39 points ahead of the Mexican’s home race in Mexico City this weekend.

However, Allison was also keen to stress the uplift provided by Mercedes’ upgrade in Austin, which brought an improvement in pace for Hamilton and his team-mate George Russell.

Mercedes technical director James Allison says the DSQ was ‘embarrasing’ for the team (Getty Images)

"Give it a day or two and that will start to wane and be replaced by the much happier feeling, which is we moved our car forward this weekend and that it’s hard to do that,” he added.

"But we did it and we did it by a decent amount. And with four races left in the championship, four races where I am pretty sure we will stay on the right side of the skid block rules.

"The initial feeling of hurt, and disappointment and frustration of ourselves will pass to be replaced by the sunny optimism of knowing that the car looked bright on this upgrade package and we’ve got four more races to show what we can do with it."

Hamilton is a two-time winner at the Mexican Grand Prix but was booed after finishing runner-up to Verstappen last year.